AKRONSuicide in jail cellAKRON: An inmate at the Summit County Jail committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell early Friday, authorities said.Jesse Lee Spinks, 29, of Akron, was found by a deputy. He was cut down and attempts were made to resuscitate him.Akron firefighters took him to Akron City Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Spinks was booked into the jail on Dec. 4 on charges of possession of cocaine, illegal conveyance, tampering with evidence and disorderly conduct. He showed no signs of being suicidal when he was screened by the jail staff, authorities said.The sheriff’s office will continue to investigate.Robber convictedAKRON: An Akron man, 20, was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated burglary and various firearms offenses for his role in an armed holdup last year, authorities said.Among the items stolen was a 6-year-old boy’s lunchbox, prosecutors said.Terrell D. Nurse was convicted Thursday in a bench trial before Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tom Parker.Nurse, who faces six years in prison, will be sentenced Feb. 28 in Parker’s court.Prosecutors said the holdup occurred Sept. 26 after Nurse and three accomplices contacted an acquaintance and went to the person’s home under false pretenses.After entering the home, one of Nurse’s accomplices pointed a gun at a male resident, then at a woman, and demanded money, prosecutors said.All four intruders ransacked the home, taking the woman’s purse and money and her son’s lunchbox.Prosecutors said police arrested Nurse after one of the victims identified him.Parker revoked Nurse’s bond after returning the guilty verdicts.MEDINA COUNTYLibrary to reopenLODI: A portion of the Lodi Library will open Monday.The library plans to operate out of the meeting room of the Wooster Street building. Structural issues has closed the main library to visitors.The temporary library will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.The main portion of the Lodi Library building will remain closed until further notice.The temporary facility will provide: pickup of reserved materials; display of CDs, DVDs and new books; selected titles from the young adult, children’s, adult fiction and nonfiction collections; four desktop computers and four laptops for use by the public; reference services; book drops and lockers.NORTH CANTON SCHOOLSPrincipals on moveNORTH CANTON: The school district has made two administrative changes that will take effect with the start of the 2012-13 school year.Greentown Elementary Principal Bryan McKenzie will take a staff position in the district office to manage data-related technology. Before coming to North Canton two years ago, he was involved in computer data technology.Hoover High School Associate Principal Jeff Breit will become principal at Greentown. He also has been a teacher and athletic director at the middle school.Greentown, with a student body of about 550 students, is the district’s largest elementary school.District Curriculum Director Peggy Savage said the changes were “technology-driven and made in the best interest of the school district and compatible with the skills of McKenzie and Breit.”The changes are in response to an anticipated state requirement that all students show demonstrable growth that must be tracked by computer data.“We’re getting ready for what we know is coming,” Savage said.PORTAGE COUNTYArsons investigatedWINDHAM TWP.: Two recent fires in the same apartment complex were the result of arson, Division of State Fire Marshal investigators announced Friday.Investigators would not comment on how or where the fires were set because the criminal investigation is ongoing.Fire marshals are working with Windham police and Windham firefighters on both incidents: A 1:16 a.m. Jan. 26 fire in a vacant unit at 9042 Maple Grove and a 9:54 p.m. Jan. 18 fire in an unoccupied unit at 9713 E. Center St.There were no injuries.A $5,000 Blue Ribbon Arson Reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of the person or persons responsible. Call 1-800-589-2728.STARK COUNTYJeep hits buildingNORTH CANTON: A 37-year-old man faces charges after a crash that damaged the Schaub Electric building.North Canton police responded about 3:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate a report of a vehicle hitting the business on Applegrove Street Northwest.Keith A. Stanton Jr., 37, of West Maple Street, lost control of his 2006 Jeep Liberty and hit the building.Authorities said they found drug paraphernalia and a harmful intoxicant in the car.Stanton was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, abusing harmful intoxicants, drug paraphernalia possession, failure to control his vehicle and failure to reinstate his driver’s license.Coordinator namedCANTON: Frances R. Gerbig has joined the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and will lead the Stark County Anti-Drug Coalition as its coordinator.Gerbig, who holds a master’s degree in public health, was the Takin’ It to the Streets coordinator for Personal and Family Counseling Services of Tuscarawas County.In her new position, Gerbig will be responsible for providing community education about the negative affects of using alcohol, tobacco products and other drugs among children ages 12 to 18.For more information about the agency, go to www.
starkmhrsb.org.SUMMIT COUNTYMock trial winnersAKRON: Five teams of Akron-area high school students advanced Friday to the regionals of the 29th annual Ohio Mock Trial Competition.St. Vincent-St. Mary High School received the most points, followed by two teams from Archbishop Hoban and one each from Manchester and Revere.The competition at the Summit County Courthouse pitted students as lawyers and witnesses who tried to determine if a student’s rights were violated when police searched his cell phone records without a warrant.The competition is the largest high school academic competition in Ohio and second-largest statewide program nationwide.The regional competition will be Feb. 24.